On retake order: 'Just sacrifice'

Sunstar Bacolod
By Erwin Ambo S.Delilan

ALTHOUGH most of the deans and board passers of nursing schools in Western Visayas are against the recent order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a retake of the nursing exam last June, Negros Occidental Representative Jose Carlos "Kako" Lacson has a different opinion.

"For me, all nursing board passers last June, including those in Negros Occidental and Bacolod, should accept the order and just sacrifice for the sake of the integrity of other licensure processes for other professionals in the country," Lacson said in a telephone interview Thursday.

He added saying, "If you've really passed, you will survive the second round because God knows you made the best effort and He will not abandon the real passers."

Lacson, currently chairman of the House committee on basic education, clarified that his contention on the issue is not for any vested or political interest but to redeem the integrity of licensure processes in the country, which was tainted by the latest nursing board exam last June.

Bacolod Lone District Representative Monico Puentevella, in a text message he sent to Sun.Star-Bacolod last night, said "I still hold the position that only those who failed should have retaken the board exam."

Puentevella, who is still abroad, said that he believes that it's really unfair to those who honestly passed, though, he said that the President has already spoken "so, we'll have to respect that. I am sure that she has only the best interest of our nurses and country in her heart when she made that decision.

However, he said he understands that the court is still yet to decide on this and that the President might yet reconsider her decision.

Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, announced that President Arroyo has already approved Tuesday the re-take of nursing examination, just to silence doubts about the examinees' competence and the nursing profession's integrity.

The decision was reached during the Cabinet meeting also Tuesday, said Ermita, adding that the 7,322 out of 40,000 applicants who passed the nursing exams last June will have no choice but to have a re-take exam.

This is because other Filipino nurses, including those abroad, were already affected by the reported leakage brouhaha, Ermita lamented.

"Yes, this is lamentable. But we don't have a choice. Or else, we will all suffer from ruined or tainted integrity and credibility especially in foreign countries," Lacson said, adding that "if we can sacrifice, let's sacrifice for the betterment of all."

Meanwhile, Ermita said that Labor Secretary Arturo Brion and Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) Chairman Dante Ang were tasked to iron out details of the special exam.

The order came from the PRC. But at the policy level, there is already a decision that there will be a retake, disclosed Ermita.

In Bacolod, however, the Riverside College, with four of their topnotchers is against the order.

The four include Emily Ubaldo (Top 4), Johanna Sandy Villaester (Top 7), Grace Marie Salinas (Top 90 and Beatrice Sembrano (Top 10) Dean Ma. Luisa Parreñas called the order as "unfair."

Riverside College has a passing percentage of 48 last June.

West Negros College (WNC), with 118 passers, is also reportedly against the order.

In Cebu City, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella hopes the President will reconsider her decision as he also called it "unfair."

Labella is also lawyer of the Cebuano interveners in a case filed against the PRC and the Board of Nursing.

"I hope that the President will seriously reconsider her decision considering that the case is currently being heard at the Court of Appeals," said Labella, upon hearing the news last night.

Any retake for all board passers would be an injustice to Cebu-based nurses, he added.